Abdullah ibn Abbas

Abdullah ibn Abbas (618-687), also known as Abd Allah ibn Abbas or simply Ibn Abbas, was a sahaba of Muhammad and an early Quran scholar.

Biography
Abdullah ibn Abbas was born in 618 in Mecca to the wealthy merchant Abbas ibn Shaiba, and was paternally descended from Hashim ibn Abd, progenitor of the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh pagan tribe. His mother took him to meet Muhammad before he could suckle, and Muhammad put some of his saliva on Abdullah's tongue, making a bond between the two. As a youth, he carried water for wudu (ritual cleaning before former salat prayers or for handling the Quran) and followed Muhammad on his expeditions, and he dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge. He memorized and learned the Quran and Sunnah, Muhammad's teachings, and when Muhammad died while he was thirteen, he became a Quran scholar. Under Ali ibn Abi Talib, he was made Governor of Basra. He was a believer in Muslim unity, and is revered by both Sunnis and Shi'ites alike today.